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| Arrest of Robert Shuler Smith (Credit:WAPT) |
Update (11:15 AM): The affidavit and six charges are posted below. Yes, they are related to the Christopher Butler cases that were reported only here on JJ. Nutshell version: The affidavit alleges the D.A. tried to help a convicted drug dealer get out of jail, visited him in jail, and tried to use a grand jury to get a circuit judge to drop a case against the drug dealer. Yes, it is alleged he tried to use a grand jury to intimidate a judge into dropping a case.
The affidavit states:
*Darnell Turner was charged with aggravated assault and domestic violence. The indictment charges Smith of leaking confidential communications between his office and the court to Turner's Lawyer, Dennis Sweet, III and assisting him as well. It states the "District Attorney not to advise, counsel, consult, or defend criminals."
*Our old friend Christopher Butler was charged with embezzlement and wire fraud by the Attorney General (See link posted below for further coverage of that case.). The indictment states Smith visited Butler in jail "outside the presence of Butler's attorney on May 26, 2016 from 8:56 AM to 9:13 AM". JJ reported in March:
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith clashed with the Mississippi Attorney General in Judge Melvin Priester's courtroom two weeks ago over convicted drug dealer Christopher Butler. The AG is prosecuting Butler for alleged consumer fraud. However, Mr. Smith showed up unannounced and unexpected at a preliminary hearing and tried to take control of the case. It was a rather colorful hearing as Judge Priester allowed Mr. Smith to have his say and then shut him down. The District Attorney also announced that he had subpoenaed the AG's prosecutors before a grand jury over the case as well and accused Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents of doctoring videotapes and trying to frame Butler in a separate case. Mr. Smith even argued that the Attorney General can not prosecute a case for anything in Hinds County without his consent. Judge Priester postponed the preliminary hearing until today "Because of the raucous and unprofessional behavior by Mr. Smith, District Attorney.."*Smith sent a letter on March 21, 2016 to Sanford Knott, Butler's lawyer" that advised him "of various ways to attack the state's pending case against Mr. Butler; thereby providing advice, counsel, and defense to Christopher Butler, by and through his attorney, (Question: will Knott get in trouble with the bar? Is this grounds for a conspiracy charge against Knott?)
The Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Division is prosecuting Butler for alleged consumer fraud involving a West Jackson furniture store and Florida finance company. He was arrested for several charges of mail fraud and false pretenses. The division initiated and conducted the investigation and prosecution (this fact is important). The state's affidavit alleges Butler obtained "signed documentation from Justin Marquise Runnels at Mega Mattress Furniture Outlet in order to send a fraudulent invoice to Uown in order to obtain funds in excess of $500 obtained from Uown." Butler was arrested and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 3. Butler is represented by the Honorable Sanford Knott, attorney at law.
Enter the District Attorney. The District Attorney appeared in court when the hearing began. Before this story goes any further, it is necessary to remind the readers of Mr. Smith's involvement with Mr. Butler. Butler was indicted twice in 2012 for trying to sell cocaine. The two cases are assigned to Judge Jeff Weill. Smith tried to dismiss the case last year but Judge Weill denied the requests to dismiss. Judge Weill told the District Attorney to submit motions to nolle prosequi in writing and provide grounds for dismissing the two cases, as Mr. Smith had made his requests orally. The District Attorney then filed a motion to recuse, but Judge Weill denied the motion and continues to hear the two cases. Earlier post with partial copy of court file. Butler has a previous conviction for selling cocaine. (Read the rest of the March 2016 post and be sure to read the transcript)
*Smith visited Butler in jail earlier on May 9, 2016 without his lawyer present to advise him on the embezzlement and wire fraud charges.
*District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith referred to Butler as "his client" and tried to "retain defense counsel" for Butler on the embezzlement and wire fraud charges. The affidavit states that he worked with Butler's lawyer to get him released from the Hinds County Detention Center.
*District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith allegedly tired to get a grand jury to "pressure a sitting circuit court judge to dismiss the charges" of possession of marijuana against Christopher Butler. JJ can report that Circuit Judge was the honorable Jeff Weill.
Related posts:
D.A. trying to drop case against drug dealer
D.A. battles MBN & AG on behalf on drug dealer
81 comments:
WoW! Unbelieveable. Kimgfish you get the news out 1st! Great job.
Still can't believe it.
it's about time! the crook guarding the crooks.
Twitterz reporting he was indicted for 6 counts of wrongfully consulting and advising criminal defendants. BOOM.
WAPT just reported he's been indicted on 6 counts for "advising criminal defendants" - time frame January 10 through June 10.
Eye browsed other sites but they had nothing until you broke the story! Good work.
what is the crime of "advising criminal defendants"
Thought I recognized the name Darnell Turner.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/4514857/all-5-grayhead-suspects-walk-free
I hate to rain on the hate parade, but doesn't the DA have pretty extensive duties to provide adverse counsel with discovery documents, both exculpatory and inculpatory? I admit the Sweet connection is problematic, particular since many in the legal community believe it is Dennis who "inspired" Smith to indict Ben Allen. Dennis is a persuasive guy.
I always wondered if RSS's failure to bring criminals to trial was incompetence or corruption. Now we know.
Can you post the exhibits? I'd love to see how Knott and Sweet respond!
Here comes the stampede of anonymous JJ-reading TVNewsers to draw their strained self-serving distinctions between themselves as news breaking "journalists" while KF is only a lowly news breaking "blogger" with connections.
I take it Butler is Smith's dealer.
11:30 - the statute is listed 6 times.
Also, no way a Hinds County jury convicts a black DA accused of helping criminals. Hell, half the county probably thinks that's his job.
Just the good ole dough boys, never meanin' no harm...
It mentions attached emails under Count I of the indictment. Do you have access to those emails?
LMAO It took three reporters to report this at MT juggernaut.
This is some real greaseball stuff. Something is going on behind the scenes with Smith and Butler, the Sweets, or both. Eyebrows may be done for good.
When Hood goes after Donkeycrats it means that other more powerful Donkeycrats want the arrested Donkeycrat gone.
does this mean Dennis Sweet is next?
Or Hood is a calculating politician and has been saving this play for close to election season / run for Governor. Whatever the reason behind the scenes this is huge for Jackson.
Welcome to all the reporters from other Jackson metro-based media outlets here to rip-off, er, catch-up on the story that Kingfish has been reporting on since February.
How is Smith going to get his Oxy and Cocaine in jail, ALLEGEDLY!
Insert Ben Allen and Stacey Pickering laughing their ass off.
Not being an Atty. i wonder if it were illegal for RSS to give the private information then why isn't it illegal to receive it? Thus, why no arrests on the receiving of classified information. (Unless they made a deal for their own protection.)
Everybody, STAND BACK. Jimmie Gates, one of the voices that moves our community is now on this story. STAND BACK everyone. Give Jimmie some room to work.
11:49,You nailed it. Must be some real money or power dealing in that job and now Bennie want to sell to some else.Hood is the State level version of Smith. Both dirty as hell. This place is not a fit for a human to live in.
Dude, RSS went after Jim Hood's office on the Butler cases. Big time. He went after the SA's people. This has nothing to do with Bennie. Stay tuned, fellas. I've brought you along this far and it turned out to be right, hasn't it?
I wonder if there will be a change of venue for the prosecution sine he is the DA for Hinds County. If so, you can bet the powers that be will send this to Rankin County.
John, shouldn't you and Jim Herring be ripping off your client up in Madison County?
Any comments yet from George Soros?
Alerted by KF's reporting, Sam R Hall had Jimmie Gates write about the Soros financial infusion into Smith's campaign three days later.
11:42 AM - You need another cup of java... JJ posted the 1st thread @ 10:44 AM. WAPT,WLBT,WJBT Didn't post the story on their website till 11:50 AM. JJ beat the top newscasters with the scoop by 1 hour. In the news business that's a lifetime. JJ needs to provide us with a smartphone app with alerts.
CJ LeMaster investigating reported for WLBT said on the 12 PM news they were 1st at reporting it. Kingfish is the best news hound ever.
@11:58 AM, thank goodness this story won't require Gates to analyze any statistics.
Anyone know how RSS gets replaced on an interim basis after he resigns? How quickly will the eventual special election be held?
12:15 - Unfortunately it will require spelling and punctuation, both of which are not Gates' forte.
Don't mention LeMaster 12:08, he gets his feathers ruffled real easy.
The atty in question is Dennis Sweet III not the father. Now I wonder where little Antar is in all of this since D.S. III is his bestest friend
RODEO PA ANNOUNCER:
Welcome first time attendees. RSS wants his fans to trust that he was bucked off his first and only time riding the bulls.
Dennis Sweet IV is CL's best friend.
Does this mean the charges against Ben are dropped?
Dennis Sweet IV is a son. Dennis Sweet III is the daddy. http://www.sweetandassociates.net/dennis.htm
Had Robert Shuler Smith been elected as a Republican you can bet, sure as Kenneth Stokes doesn't weigh a pound less than 350, that the Democrat (b)led media outlets in this state would be tripping over their keyboards to point out Smith's GOP affiliation.
Donner has requested that when y'all find a race angle to let her know and she'll jump all over the story.
Hope this means the end of the Ben Allen frame up.
Prosecutorial discretion; release from jail ='s bond negotiation; says it's drug problem, surrenders license, no jail time. Yawn.
Can only hope this is the end of RSS's tenure and law license. I also hope the FBI has been looking at the bank account transactions of RSS and of anyone else involved.
Clearly, Butler has something on RSS. Shake down Butler to learn what the real story is.
Butler has to be his dealer. That explains everything.
Back in March of this year, Dennis Sweet III fired one of his associate attorneys, Terris Harris. Several clients have filed legal malpractice lawsuits against Sweet and Associates. One of those clients who filed a legal malpractice lawsuit is Tara Donelson. About 2 weeks ago, Dennis Sweet III fired Paul Winfield, former mayor of Vicksburg. Dennis represented him after he accepted a bribe. After Winfield served 2 years in federal prison and was disbarred, Sweet turned around and gave him a job in the firm last March. Now, all of a sudden, he seems to be getting rid of his flunkies.
Dennis Sweet's net worth is over $20 million so why or how he got involved with this is mind-boggling. He doesn't need the money... so it's got to be a insider who has an axe to grind and wants a payoff or a settlement to shut him up.
11:58, 12:33, 12:58
Give a rest, Ben.
There's still plenty of questions about what has been going on at DJP. Time will tell.
"Anyone know how RSS gets replaced on an interim basis after he resigns? How quickly will the eventual special election be held?"
Should he resign - which isn't an automatic action - then the Governro appoints a replacement DA. Depending on when this happens, there will be a special election on the "next special election date" which if it were all to happen today would mean that there would be a special election this November 8th.
But if the office became 'vacant' too close to the November 8th date, the special election would be next year, with the appointed DA serving until that time.
RSS holding press conference this afternoon at 4:30.
BOOOM. THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS. RANKIN and MADISON are better than Hinds folks, the attorney general and the FBI have proven it once and for all.
Smells like a rat. Hood is definitely wearing a hood on this one. To have someone removed from office and a fine is $500 is ludicrous. When you throw a pebble you will reap a stone. What how fast information starts to flow on the Hoods (Tom and Jim). They are both corrupt politicians.
They story will definitely grow balls and legs. Stay Tuned.
Maybe justice is starting to be served in Jackson. I wonder if the EPPS associates will be exposed and if the names of Hood and Hood will show up.
I'm getting the popcorn.
@ 2:15 Your info is bad. Terris left and was not fired. Winfield was still there as of the end of last week.
@2:47
If you don't think the Ben Allen indictment is relevant, you're ill informed. From what i've seen, the indictment against Ben appears totally baseless.
The character, integrity and recklessness of the DA, as evidenced by what appears to be a credible indictment by the state's top law enforcement official (the AG), give us an idea of what irresponsible and reckless acts were going on with the Ben Allen indictment. Whether you like Ben or not, he's not guilty of any alleged crimes wrt DJP. He works for a non-profit corporation, not a state agency.
You didn't see any indictments for the JSU Foundation people who purportedly mispent money on rather dubious items. Like it or not, it wasn't about race. That's because the Foundation is likewise a non-profit corporation. Unless the Foundation charged the former employees with embezzlement, then there is no criminal action to pursue.
The same is, or should have been, the case with Ben Allen and DJP. The difference is that Ben and DJP have clearly been in the cross-hairs of minority faction within the African-American community that just plain hates Ben, DJP and Leland Speed (DJP's founder).
The evidence I've seen so far in the public domain strongly suggests the Allen indictment to be purely politically motivated, and without a basis in fact or law. That is far different in the case with RS Smith, notwithstanding that RS Smith and the AG don't seem to like each other.
@ 215.. Isn't Terris Harris the attorney suing for 50 billion dollars over a hunting video?
The posts are flowing right along, only interrupted by the incessant, periodic, anonymous and congratulatory posts by Kingfish attesting to his fine and unequaled work.
So, it's now Kingfish 3 and Ben Allen 4. The contest continues.
@4:38, Terris Harris is suing for $50 million and not $50 billion in the lawsuit about hunting videos. He is quite an incompetent lawyer.
3:43 isa drunk goofball
Did you see the APP comment? Let's talk.
The "Chief" WLBT Investigator said "they" were the first to break the story online. They weren't and you weren't C.J..
...only interrupted by the incessant, periodic, anonymous and congratulatory posts by Kingfish attesting to his fine and unequaled work.
No piss ant. That ain't KF. That is me. You're too stupid to know the difference. KF only clears your whiny ass comments to be seen by all.
The statute carries no jail time and is a misdemeanor. To think Smith would lose his license, even if convicted, and assuming he gets a remotely competent lawyer the first move is to move for the statute to be declared unconstitutional as it is very vague and quite frankly can be read to violate Brady. It's from 1942. The biggest question is why are the police (the state) the DA's office and the Court (the Judge) emailing one another about a case? That violates a whole lot of Rules of Professional Conduct and Judicial Canons. Not a fan of Smith, at all, but Count 1 is very disturbing on a much larger note than misdemeanors that carry no time and are only being utilized for the removal from office provision.
WLBT was the first to mention it. I got an update on the app and could not find any info.... even at msnewsnow. About 10 minutes later, I refreshed my reader and JJ had the story.
Does it really matter, though?
Prove it. Online WLBT @ 10:52 AM, JJ @ 10:44 AM. Yes it matters.
Not a fan of Smith but, but, but, but, but, but ...
Terris Harris is quite a competent lawyer.
Prove it 7:59pm
and no, it doesn't matter
the fact that it matters to someone is indicative to their ignorance. wanting to be quick over accurate is why the "press" is no longer the press. Freedoms are tied at the hip to responsibility. If the press can no longer be responsible to report accurately due to the desire to be the first, then the press no longer should enjoy the protections of "freedom of the press."
June 22, 2016 at 10:01 PM: It obviously matters to CJLeMaster as he kept touting that WLBT was first, specifically mentioning online, yesterday when on the air.
Anyone care to talk about Chokwe (Anton) Lamumba holding a "press conference" last night? All to say this was politically motivated and doesn't pass the "smell test." As an attorney, I have never heard of the "smell test" defense...
Who the fuck is CJ LeMaster?
4:01 p.m.
From what I've seen, the charges against the "Damn Prophet" seem anything but baseless.
Nice of you to proclaim that the "D.P." is innocent of all charges brought by that nasty 'ole mean, irresponsible and reckless DA, though. That and $5 will get me a cup of coffee.
Speaking of embezzlement, what ever happened to the charges that were brought by the "D.P." and DJP against that disgruntled, former employee that they just happened to keep around out of the goodness of their collective hearts?
How long is the black man going to keep a good, innocent white man down, and why drag Speed into this?
And, of course, the charges brought against the long suffering "Damn Prophet" were all about politics, but, the misdemeanor charges against the "Eye-brow Waxer" are completely legit.
Like I said, give it a rest, Ben.
@ 8:27 http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/24634681/cj-lem
Yup, self-puffery. Donner's is four times as long.
As I stated yesterday. The MSNewsNow app sent a push notification about the D.A. being arrested. When clicking on the link, as usual with MSNewsNow, there was no additional story. It was just the push notification.
They do this about once a week. I get a notification on my phone and when I try to find out more information, there is no story yet.
After trying to find the story on the D.A. after receiving the notification, my reader popped with JJ's story. So, WLBT might have been first to report it, but it was basically a headline with no story.
DJP is funded by tax dollars....JSU Foundation is not. Ben Allen has pocketed a half million dollars and that's not likely to go unnoticed by a jury.
Keep plugging away 12:03. We are praying for you. Above is BS.
Hold your horses @8:37. Word on the street is embezzlement may be the LEAST of her worries. Stay tuned. It should get very interesting soon.
They are pursuing the case I Madison County.
Saw on the news where sweating kennuf stokes said the cops whopped up on the DA after they arrested him. Watch out Jackson cops or kennuf will be on you like a frog on a june bug.
Is there any update on when and which venue will prosecute this case? It seems like a major conflict to have this case tried in Hinds county.
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